Pantelligent is one smart frying pan

Cooking can be hard. The team at Pantelligent are aiming to make the process a little easier, though, by allowing users to connect their "smart" frying pan to a smartphone to monitor temperature and cook time ... taking the guesswork out of pan cooking.

The app is the key to Pantelligent. It features dozens of recipes for things like salmon, bacon, and other foods that are traditionally made on a cook top. While cooking, it monitors the temperature of the pan and alerts users of things that need to be done, such as when it's time to flip food over and when the temperature needs a tweak.

For the more adventurous chef, the system includes freestyle mode, which allows them to use the temperature-monitoring feature without following a recipe. It's a nice option for those who want to get a little creative.

Bluetooth Low Energy is used for communication with the phone, which allows for a range of around 50 feet (15 m) from the pan depending on obstructions. This means users should be able to venture a few rooms away from their kitchen, but it doesn't quite have the extended range of Wi-Fi.

The pan itself is made with a Teflon nonstick coating that is rated to last 3 to 5 years. The temperature controls offered in Pantelligent should help extend the life of the pan by preventing users from applying the excessive heat that tends to ruin nonstick pans. It's a 12-inch (30.5-cm) pan, which means it should be able to handle fairly large jobs.

Designer Humberto Evans and the rest of his team are seeking funding on Kickstarter. They set out with a US$30,000 goal, and they are almost there with over a month left in the funding period. Backers interested in preordering a pan can do so for a minimum pledge of US$199 with an expected ship date of August 2015.

The Kickstarter pitch video below provides more information and shows the pan in use.